Day 8: The Gift of the Magi

Day 8 of Advent

The Gift of the Magi

O’Henry’s classic story has always been deeply heartwarming, but we grew up listening to a fun rendition by Adventures in Odyssey that brings in a splash of comedy along with the sweet sadness of this tale of love. Della and Jim (Madge and Guy in the AIO version) give what is dearest to them because they are even dearer to each other.

Listen to the AiO Episode, the "Adventures of Madge and Guy!"

Include us in your day! Tag @piperandleaf and #piperandleafadvent

Scripture Reading for the Day

John 7:42

Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Messiah comes from David’s offspring and from the town of Bethlehem, where David lived?

Activity for Today

Christmas Room Spray and Gift of the Magi Bread

This stories name reflects the Magi who brought gifts to Jesus, two of which were beautiful smelling frankincense and myrrh. Today make your house smell like Christmas with an essential oil room spray (add 10-20 drops of oil into a spray bottle of water), fresh evergreen, or Christmas candles. If you have frankincense and myrrh essential oils make sure to use those to your room spray.

As we dove into advent poems and books, we stumbled upon this Gift of the Magi Bread! Though, this treat didn’t get its start from O. Henry's classic tale, but straight from the Bible! A lot of people say it’s called ‘Gift of the Magi Bread’ because it’s packed with all sorts of little treasures, tiny gifts just like the treasures the magi brought to baby Jesus!

Check out this Gift of the Magi Bread Recipe!

Radiant citrus packed with a treasure trove of ginger and turmeric as golden as Jim’s pocket watch.

Let's spill the tea about Golden Hour Tonic...

Eloquent Description

There’s a moment: a fleeting, agonizingly short but sweet, transitory moment. It sends the sun on its daily course. It also returns to punctuate the daily doldrums. The warm ginger coaxes the tongue awake, the grapefruit pulsates life into your senses, and gentle turmeric wraps around like a comforting pneumatic gust. This instant - a vision encapsulated, accentuated - this is the Golden Hour Tonic.

Ingredients

Ginger
Turmeric
Rosehips
Pineapple
Papaya
Apple
Lemon Rind
Orange Rind
Hibiscus
Spearmint
Grapefruit Oil

Steeping Suggestions

For hot tea, steep one tea bag in 8 to 10oz of 212 water for 10 minutes. For iced, use half the water(same temp), steep for the same time, and add ice after you pull the tea bag out.

Someone Else's Thoughts

“Perfect tea for cold/flu relief and beyond. I thought it would be too spicy but the flavors are so well balanced it’s actually pretty mellow but with a warm glow as the name suggests. I’m hooked.”
– David

All about The Gift of the Magi

Fun Fact!
Today is Jimmy's 8th birthday! Sing happy birthday to Jimmy and have fun listening to one of his favorite Adventures in Odyssey episodes, "The Adventures of Madge and Guy!"

If you haven't heard of Adventures in Odyssey, they have hundreds of episodes from over the years, and it still airs on several radio stations. You can tune in to the most recent episodes on air over at OnePlace.net, link below. Growing up, both our families listened to these radio dramas, and now our children also love listening.
Listen to Adventures in Odyssey on OnePlace
Listen to the AiO Episode, the "Adventures of Madge and Guy!"
The Gift of the Magi
One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.
About the Author
William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), better known as O. Henry, was an American writer renowned for his short stories, including "The Gift of the Magi," "The Duplicity of Hargraves," and "The Ransom of Red Chief." His works often feature naturalistic observations, witty narration, and surprise endings.
Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, Porter became a licensed pharmacist at 19 and later moved to Texas, where he began developing characters for his stories. After being charged with embezzlement in 1895, he fled to Honduras, where he wrote Cabbages and Kings. He returned to care for his dying wife, beginning a five-year prison sentence in 1898. While incarcerated, he published 14 stories under the pen name O. Henry.
After his release, Porter moved to Pittsburgh and then New York City, where he wrote 381 short stories. He married Sarah Coleman in 1907, but she left him two years later. Porter died in 1910, leaving a legacy that includes the annual O. Henry Award for outstanding short stories.